Staying motivated: The three "P's"

Swimming World and Junior Swimmer, Aug 2003 by Hyman, Misty

"It doesn't matter at what level you're swimming; it just matters that you are a little better today than you were yesterday."

It's true. Most people think swimmers are crazy.

How many hours do you spend swimming back and forth, staring at that black line on the bottom of the pool? Why do you come to school with wet hair? What time do you wake up?

Of course, everybody knows you have to be a little bit...umm, well...-"different"-to be a serious swimmer. I should know. I have been doing it for almost 20 years! (And I must say I am proud of my "different-ness"!.

Recently, the question I have been asked most often is: "How do you stay motivated?"

That is the same question I have had to ask myself many times in my career. What I have learned is that there are a number of different ways to stay motivated. However, the following three "P's" always seem to work for me.

Perspective

I need to remember that swimming is something I get to do as opposed to something I have to do. There are many reasons why I love swimming-regardless of how successful I am. It helps to remember the simple joys of the sport, such as the feel of the water, the healthy lifestyle, your friends on the team and the opportunity to challenge yourself every day.

Swimming has given me the opportunity to travel all over the world and to meet amazing people. It also helped pay my way through college.

But beyond that, the simple truth is that I love swimming and I am passionate about my sport. It is something I find enjoyable and fulfilling. I love being involved in something productive-something into which I can focus all my energy and see tangible results.

When I would go to high school with wet hair, I always felt like I had a head start on everybody else because by 8:30 in the morning, I had already had a very productive day.

I have also always thought of swimming as a stepping stone to other things in my life. When I hurt my shoulder, it was a refreshing thought to realize that I could apply what I had learned in swimming to anything else I wanted to do. I know I can be successful because of the skills I have learned from swimming.

Process

People often talk about all the sacrifices swimmers must make:

* "You have to spend so much time and energy."

* "You miss out on so many normal childhood activities."

* "You have to budget your time so carefully."

* And we are all too familiar with the typical question from the reporter to the Olympic medalist on TV after her big win: "Were all those years of sacrifice worth it?"

Maybe we need to change our thinking. If you ask me, years and years of suffering and sacrificing are not worth it for one moment of glory-no matter how much money you might be rewarded with for your efforts.

If that were really your primary motivation, it probably was a waste of time. After all, that moment when you're standing on the top of the podium is fleeting. The very next day, you're still the same person as you were the day before you reached that pinnacle of success.

All of the years I have put into swimming were worth it to me-gold medal or no gold medal. I don't look at it as a sacrifice-it was a choice I made...and a lifestyle I still love.

Let's say you are getting ready for school in the morning. You look in the closet, and there are two sweaters-a red one and a blue one. Maybe you are in a bolder mood than usual, and you opt for the red. All day long, you are enjoying the benefits of choosing the red sweater. You feel good, you look good and you are getting noticed.

You don't think to yourself, "Darn, I am sorry I had to sacrifice wearing the blue sweater so I could wear this red one." It was simply a choice that you made.

Swimming is the same way. Instead of choosing more time to go to the mall, stay out late or talk on the phone, you choose to learn how to set goals, overcome adversity, challenge yourself and work hard. If s a choice full of many of life's lessons and fun times.

There are many paths to take in life, and we all have to make choices. Swimming is just one of many great ones.

Potential

The third "P" is what makes me excited about swimming. It is the possibility of improving and the idea of moving toward a goal.

The wonderful thing about swimming is that there are always things you can do to become a better swimmer. But you have to work at it. For me, it is inspiring to have that kind of potential.

I like to reflect on what the women's world record was in the 200 meter fly in 1970. That year, American Alice Jones became the first woman to break the 2:20 barrier with a 2:19.32. Today, the record is 13-and-a-half seconds faster at 2:05.78.

I can see how far swimming has come and how far we still have to go. We are nowhere near maximum human potential. I wonder what the world record will be in the year 2030!

That's a big part of the reason I am still swimming. I still feel like I have room to improve. Even since my surgery-though I haven't been at the top of my game just yet-the process of working my way back up to where I once was and seeing my own improvement has made the comeback process worthwhile.